Kia Teases New Concept Ahead Of Chicago Auto Show: AWD Soul

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Doesn't look too different so far, kind of a weird idea for a concept.

Electric/hybrid all-wheel-drive, or e-AWD as it's being called here, is suddenly all the rage in the automotive world. All manner of manufacturers have been announcing big plans for the racing-derived technology, but this one is slightly different. Kia has announced that a concept version of the Soul will feature this new tech at the upcoming Chicago Auto Show. There has even been a teaser shot, seen on the next page, of the concept in the snow. This is unusual for a couple of reasons.

The first is that every other car set to incorporate this technology we've heard about has been much more expensive. The Soul is the cheapest car anyone has looked at putting e-AWD in by a significant margin. It is also unusual in that this has hitherto been seen as a performance technology, coming as it does directly from the world of motorsports. But the teaser suggests the much more mainstream use for AWD, a means of getting around in unfavorable weather. These systems require a lot of engineering work, so we're very curious to see where Kia is going with all of this.